Thep Phanom's Quail Flies With Thai Flair

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, April 7, 1999

It seems every time a restaurant goes under, a Thai restaurant rises in its spot. The vibrant flavors and fresh ingredients have made this style of food just about as popular as Chinese.

One thing that makes Thai food so irresistable is the complex balance of ingredients -- like the mix that flavors the Fried Quail from Thep Phanom. Thep Phanom opened in 1986 and still maintains its position as the best Thai restaurant in the Bay Area.

The birds are first rubbed with lemongrass, garlic, cilantro and fish sauce, then are allowed to marinate overnight. Then the birds are fried to a crisp turn and served with a dipping sauce made with fish sauce, fresh lime, chile powder and cilantro.

Chef/owner Pathama Parikanont is a self-taught cook, learning at her father's knee in Thailand. He would tell her what he wanted and she would choose the vegetables from the garden and run to the nearby rivers to catch fish and shrimp for his creations.

She started with many of his recipes and has since made them her own. At the restaurant, she creates dishes that combine her Thai background and California sensibilities.

The restaurant, located in a Victorian on Waller at Fillmore, feels like a turn-of-the-century parlor. It's warm and inviting and filled with Thai artwork the owner has collected through the years.

BAYTV

Pathama Parikanont demonstrates how to make this dish at 5:30 p.m. today on BayTV's "Bay Cafe," Channel 35 on most cable systems.

THE SECRETS

-- The marinade. Rubbing a paste of garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, fish sauce and other ingredients on the quail adds great flavor. -- The frying. Cook only two quail at a time. Cooking more crowds the pan and lowers the temperature of the oil so the skin won't be crisp. -- The dipping sauce. Made a day ahead, the sauce gives extra zip to the fried quail.

INSTRUCTIONS: Prepare the quail by cutting along both sides of the backbone with kitchen scissors. Place your index finger into the neck cavity and gently pull down on the backbone, removing it and the ribs (you may need to use a boning knife to cut away ribs).

Find the hip bone and cut around it, taking care not to cut off the legs. Rinse the quail thoroughly, then dry with paper towels.

Combine the garlic, lemongrass, cilantro stems, white pepper and salt in a mortar and crush to form a paste. Add the black pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce and 1 tablespoon oil; blend well.

Rub each quail thoroughly with the paste. Stack quail atop one another in a plastic bag. Squeeze out all the air and seal the bag. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove quail from the refrigerator; discard the marinade.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan to 375 degrees. Carefully slip 2 quail in the pan and fry for about 3 minutes on each side for slightly pink meat, 4 minutes each side for thoroughly cooked meat. The skin will be crisp. Remove the quail and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining quail.

Transfer to serving plates and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with the Thai-Style Spicy Sauce.